Purpose: The impact of attention problems on academic and social
functioning coupled with the large number of children failing to respond to
stimulant medication or behavioral therapy makes adjunctive therapies such as
cognitive training appealing for families and clinicians of children with
attention difficulties or childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
However, the results of cognitive training studies have failed to find far
transfer effects with this population. This study examined the quantitative
cognitive effects and parent-reported behavioral effects of a
clinician-delivered cognitive training program with children who have attention
problems. Patients and methods: Using a randomized controlled study design, we
examined the impact of a clinician-delivered cognitive training program on
processing speed, fluid reasoning, memory, visual processing, auditory
processing, attention, overall intelligence quotient score, and behavior of
students (n=13) aged 8–14 years with attention problems. Participants were
randomly assigned to either a waitlist control group or a treatment group for
60 hours of cognitive training with ThinkRx, a clinician-delivered intervention
that targets multiple cognitive skills with game-like, but rigorous mental
tasks in 60–90-minute training sessions at least 3 days per week.Results: Results included greater mean pretest to
posttest change scores on all variables for the treatment group versus the
control group with statistically significant differences noted in working
memory, long-term memory, logic and reasoning, auditory processing, and
intelligence quotient score. Qualitative outcomes included parent-reported
changes in confidence, cooperation, and self-discipline.Conclusion: Children with attention problems who completed
60 hours of clinician-delivered ThinkRx cognitive training realized both
cognitive and behavioral improvements.Keywords: brain training,
cognitive rehabilitation, ADHD, LearningRx, cognitive training